By Miguel Febles Hernández on August 25, 2021
Jill Biden enjoying Cuban hospitality in Camagüey, photo: Miguel Febles Hernández
It will soon be five years ago, exactly on October 8 and 9, 2016, that as part of the process of normalization of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, which was taking place at the time, the academic Jill Biden, wife of the then vice president of that country, Joseph R. Biden, visited Camagüey.
During her stay in the former princely town, the prominent educator visited several cultural institutions, among them the headquarters of the Camagüey Ballet, considered the second most important company in Cuba, and together with its director, Regina Balaguer, she enjoyed a rehearsal session of its dancers.
As part of the agenda, Jill Biden and the delegation that accompanied her shared, in their respective galleries, with renowned artists Martha Jimenez, Ileana Sanchez and Joel Jover, who showed their works and collections in a family atmosphere, far from all protocol and formalities.
In a walk through the historic center of the city, whose oldest segment was declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008, the then Second Lady was able to appreciate a good part of the exceptional values that fill its inhabitants with pride and are highly valued by foreign visitors.
On that date, Jill Biden had the opportunity to exchange with outstanding women from the education, health and scientific-research sectors, who offered her first-hand information about the results of promising projects related to the treatment of cancer and diabetes.
The American professor was also informed about the progress of clinical trials of therapeutic vaccines for different types of cancer, with the use of Cuban biopharmaceutical products, which contribute to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and their survival.
In a cordial and mutually respectful atmosphere, Mrs. Biden and those who were part of her entourage received details on many other aspects of interest about the Cuban reality and were able to observe the modest, hard-working and peaceful life of the Camagüey people, who are sure about their yearnings for welfare and social justice.
At this point, one might ask: Did she not talk about her experience in Cuba with her illustrious husband, who years later would become president of the United States and then over night seems to have forgotten his electoral promises regarding his government’s policy towards Cuba?
Was it the image of a “failed state” -as the tenant of the White House dared to call the largest of the Antilles- that Jill Biden appreciated in her visit to Camagüey and other places in Cuba, where she was welcomed with the hospitality and kindness that have always characterized its people?
Far from changing the position taken by his predecessor Donald Trump, the current president has taken it upon himself to add new prohibitions and sanctions, clearly to satisfy the demands of the Cuban-American ultra-right, which dreams of eliminating all vestige of socialism in the Caribbean island.
It is not too late though for Mrs. Biden to take advantage of all her pedagogical wisdom to advise her husband-president to return to the path of dialogue and not confrontation, the only way to achieve a civilized coexistence between both nations, free from hatred, punishment, aggression and insult.
Source: Granma, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English